1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector device, and more particularly to a card connector device having a retainer for solidly and effectively retaining or latching daughter boards to mother boards.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical card connector devices have been provided for securing daughter boards to mother boards. One of the typical card connector devices is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,124 to Wang, and comprises a retention arm having a latch projection for engaging with and for locking the daughter board to a housing of the card connector device.
However, the retention arm is formed integral with the housing with molding processes. When the card connector device is formed or manufactured with a softer material, the retention arm will have no suitable resilience to retain or to latch the daughter board to the housing.
On the contrary, when the card connector device is formed or manufactured with a relatively harder or stronger material, the daughter board may not easily move over or beyond the retention arm, and the retention arm may have a good chance to be broken by the users when the retention arm is bent relative to the housing.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional card connector devices.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a card connector device including a retainer for solidly and effectively retaining or latching daughter boards to mother boards.
The other objective of the present invention is to provide a card connector device including a retainer for allowing daughter boards to be secured or latched to mother boards by users.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector device comprising a mother board, an elongate housing mounted on the mother board, and including an elongate slot formed therein, a daughter board selectively engageable into the slot of the housing, and a retainer for securing the daughter board to the housing. The retainer includes a support having a channel formed therein for receiving the daughter board, and including a base having a bore formed therein, and including a latch slidably received in the bore of the base. The retainer includes a maintaining device for selectively maintaining the latch at a working position to engage with the daughter board, and at a non-working position to disengage from the daughter board.
The selectively maintaining device includes a plurality of seats provided in the base, for selectively supporting the latch at the working position. The base includes a plurality of grooves and passages alternatively formed therein and having different depths, and the seats are aligned with the passages of the base.
The base includes a plurality of swellings defined between the grooves and the passages thereof. The swellings each includes a first end having an inclined surface formed therein, and inclined toward the seats of the base respectively.
The selectively maintaining device includes a rotary member provided on one end of the latch, and having at least one rib extended therefrom and slidably receivable in the grooves of the base when the latch is maintained at the non-working position, and seated on one of the seats when the latch is maintained at the working position.
The rib includes one end having an inclined surface formed therein for engaging with the inclined surfaces of the swellings.
The rotary member includes a bore formed therein for receiving the one end of the latch.
The selectively maintaining device includes a knob engaged with the rotary member for moving the latch to the working position when the knob is depressed into the base. The rotary member includes a first end having a plurality of teeth formed therein, and the knob includes a first end having a plurality of teeth formed therein and engaged with the teeth of the rotary member. The knob includes a plurality of juts extended therefrom and slidably received in the grooves and the passages of the base respectively.
A spring biasing device may be used for biasing the latch away from the daughter board.
A cap may be secured to a first end of the base for retaining the latch in the base. The base includes at least one depression formed in the first end thereof, the cap includes at least one projection extended therefrom and engaged into the depression of the base. The base includes at least one protrusion bendable to engage with the projection of the cap, and to secure the cap to the base.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.